Odisha’s latest move to curb dropouts? Rs 5,000 annually to three lakh tribal students

The Odisha government, today, Thursday, September 5, announced a new initiative to provide annual financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to approximately three lakh tribal students in the state, according to a report by PTI. 

The announcement was made by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling in the Assembly.

Further, Mahaling explained that each tribal student who has completed Class VIII or X and is enrolling in Class IX or XI  will receive Rs 5,000 annually as part of this incentive programme.

The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, yesterday, Wednesday night, September 5. 

The minister introduced the new scheme named 'Madho Singh Haath Kharch Yojana’, which aims to reduce dropout rates among tribal students in the state.

In addition to this, Mahaling stated that the scheme will benefit around three lakh students from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category, with the state government allocating Rs 156 crore in this year’s budget for its implementation.

The scheme will be put into effect this year.

This financial support is intended to help students continue their education without financial constraints, Mahaling added.

Besides that, the initiative addresses the ongoing issue of high dropout rates among tribal students at the secondary education level, a major concern for the government.